Before dedicated skating disciplines were developed
rolling was the only way of moving along on ice.
In the 19th century in the Netherlands rolling developed to the Dutch
Roll (on natural ice) and in the Anglo-Saxon countries to club skating
(indoor).
In the clubs the now unpopular 'compulsory
figures'
were developed.
Both forms knew forms of competitive skating in which controlling the movements
both physically and technically
was emphasized.
The skates that are used for both disciplines
are much the
same.

In the middle of the 19th century
the USA, Canada, Germany and England
already possessed an important metalworking industry.
Here all-metal
ice skates with quick-fasten systems were designed and produced.
In
these countries skates with wooden platforms have disappeared around
1900.
In the Netherlands, however,
this process started approximately 60 years later.
Skates with wooden platforms stayed popular
until around 1960 when
increasing wages
caused the prices of the still handmade traditional ice
skates to raise beyond the price level
of the industrially made all-metal skates.